HR Expert

Working Virtual: Goodbye Office, Hello Telework

2010-09-16T04:14:00.000-07:00

Working Virtual: Goodbye Office, Hello Telework

By Ira S Wolfe, Success Performance Solutions

Whatever stats or studies you look at these days, the result is the same: telework is growing rapidly. The convergence of technology, a changing workforce, and a recession that forced companies to look for new ways to cut costs suddenly enticed many executives and business owners to take a real hard look at taking their company virtual.

Can you see an office-less company in your future?

Whatever stats or studies you look at these days, the result is the same: telework is growing rapidly. According to the research firm Forrester, 34 million Americans are working from home at least part time. The number of people who worked from homegrew from 9.5 million in 1999 to 17.2 million in 2008.

But it’s not just employees and contractors who are working remotely. The convergence of technology, a changing workforce, and a recession that forced companies to look for new ways to cut costs suddenly enticed many executives and business owners to take a real hard look at taking their company virtual.

Based on the number of articles on blogs, questions on LinkedIn discussion boards, and a feature story in the April 2010 issue of Inc. Magazine, going virtual is a real decision many CEOs and owners are wrestling with.

The most tantalizing and obvious benefit of going virtual is significant savings - no rent, no building maintenance, no fees, no real estate taxes. Getting rid of the office and working remotely also has appeal to younger workers, new parents, and contract workers. It is also better for the planet.

But eliminating all the costs normally associated with owning, renting, and maintaining an office has a blinding appeal if the CEO/business owner doesn’t go virtual with his eyes wide open.

I was one of those business owners who took the plunge into the depths of the virtual business world just a few months ago. For the record I had been the teleworker in my business for the previous 6 years. For those 6 years, my employees went to work in an office – and I worked remotely. When it came time to renew the lease, my employees and I evaluated several alternative office locations including staying put. But after very little deliberation, they opted to work from home. The decision was made. My business would become office-less.

All-in-all, we have no regrets. In fact, the transition was virtually uneventful (pun intended!) barring a few technology hurdles and hitches. But compared to over a dozen moves during the past three decades – a combination of business and residential - going virtual was a piece of cake.

Despite the rosy picture I’ve painted, I will be the first to point out that a virtual business is not for everyone. Based on my experiences, I recommend management, partners, and employees consider the following questions.

1. Have all the senior managers, owners, and/or partners worked virtually before? If not, I'd encourage everyone to take the next 30 or more days to work from home and see how it works. Spending your entire adult life working in an office causes you to develop habits – eating lunch with co-workers or scheduling meetings to break up the day. Working from home disrupts the routine. You may like it or hate it. If the decision to go virtual is already a done deal, this time will give management the opportunity to work out the technical glitches and emotional hiccups.

2. Do the same thing for your employees. Even if you provide the technology for everyone to work virtually, not all your employees may be disciplined enough or comfortable enough to do so. In other words, do you have the right people in place to do this? In addition, do the employees have space for a home office or will they be forced to use the kitchen table? What about office furniture and equipment? Who will provide it and where will they put it?

3. How will you hold out-of-sight employees accountable? Even if your employees don’t always get along in the traditional office space, a co-worker or manager is only a few steps away from a face-to-face meeting when it comes time to work out a disagreement, adjust priorities, mentor an employee, or collaborate on a project. When everyone is working remotely, you have altered roles and responsibilities. Instead of employing a group of competent generalists, the expectation is now one based on specialists who are productive, efficient, and good at meeting deadlines without someone looking over their shoulder. Are your employees ready and able for this challenge?

4. When working remotely, high-speed connectivity is critical. Don’t assume every employee has the bandwidth capacity to work from home on a regular basis. In fact, some employees in rural or remote locations may be limited to dial-up or unreliable connectivity. Other workers may not have purchased the fastest Internet service package. Who will pay for the upgrades and monthly service fees? How will co-workers communicate with one another and with clients? Will they use home and/or mobile phones or will you (the employer) be setting up a VOIP (Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol) phone system? Where will your data be stored – on a server or in the cloud? In either case, how will employees access the data? Who will be responsible for setting up and maintaining the necessary technology in each employee’s home?

5. How will your customers react? Will a virtual home alter your "brand" or client's perception? Where will you hold client meetings? Will the neighbors, customers, and competitors think you have gone out of business and going virtual is a prelude to shutting down the business altogether? If employees meet clients, prospects, and vendors in their homes, will the setting be business-like enough for the guests?

6. Supervising employees in a virtual business opens up a quagmire of the unknown. Compliance with compensation, benefits, and safety guidelines are still the responsibility of the employer. But OSHA and Fair Labor Standards Act are still based on the traditional workplace and predicated on a static work week. How will you hire and train new hires and develop current employees? How will you monitor hours worked? What about overtime? How will you handle a dismissal of a terminated employee? If terminated, how will you retrieve the equipment, furniture, and data? It’s not like you can escort the employee out of their own home and pack up their belongings in a box.

It's my belief that many businesses will go virtual over the next few years. But I also believe that many will fail if the decision is driven by the allure of cost savings alone. The savings won't compensate for productivity loss and mismanagement due to human factors relating to working virtually and remotely.

Are you ready to go virtual?

-----------------------------------------

Telecommuting by the Numbers

What would happen to the U.S. economy if everyone who could work from home -- about 40 percent of the work force -- did so half the time. Kate Lister of the Telework Research Network, a San Diego -- based research firm, has a rough idea of what this future state might look like. The figures are annual.

$200 billion productivity gains by American companies
$190 billion savings from reduced real estate expenses, electricity bills, absenteeism, and employee turnover
100 hours per person not spent commuting
50 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions cut
276 million barrels of oil saved, or roughly 32 percent of oil imports from the Middle East
1,500 lives not lost in car accidents
$700 billion total estimated savings to American businesses

Source: Telecommuting by the Numbers
Working Virtual: Goodbye Office, Hello Telework
By Ira S Wolfe, Success Performance Solutions

Whatever stats or studies you look at these days, the result is the same: telework is growing rapidly. The convergence of technology, a changing workforce, and a recession that forced companies to look for new ways to cut costs suddenly enticed many executives and business owners to take a real hard look at taking their company virtual.

Can you see an office-less company in your future?

Whatever stats or studies you look at these days, the result is the same: telework is growing rapidly. According to the research firm Forrester, 34 million Americans are working from home at least part time. The number of people who worked from homegrew from 9.5 million in 1999 to 17.2 million in 2008.

But it’s not just employees and contractors who are working remotely. The convergence of technology, a changing workforce, and a recession that forced companies to look for new ways to cut costs suddenly enticed many executives and business owners to take a real hard look at taking their company virtual.

Based on the number of articles on blogs, questions on LinkedIn discussion boards, and a feature story in the April 2010 issue of Inc. Magazine, going virtual is a real decision many CEOs and owners are wrestling with.

The most tantalizing and obvious benefit of going virtual is significant savings - no rent, no building maintenance, no fees, no real estate taxes. Getting rid of the office and working remotely also has appeal to younger workers, new parents, and contract workers. It is also better for the planet.

But eliminating all the costs normally associated with owning, renting, and maintaining an office has a blinding appeal if the CEO/business owner doesn’t go virtual with his eyes wide open.

I was one of those business owners who took the plunge into the depths of the virtual business world just a few months ago. For the record I had been the teleworker in my business for the previous 6 years. For those 6 years, my employees went to work in an office – and I worked remotely. When it came time to renew the lease, my employees and I evaluated several alternative office locations including staying put. But after very little deliberation, they opted to work from home. The decision was made. My business would become office-less.

All-in-all, we have no regrets. In fact, the transition was virtually uneventful (pun intended!) barring a few technology hurdles and hitches. But compared to over a dozen moves during the past three decades – a combination of business and residential - going virtual was a piece of cake.

Despite the rosy picture I’ve painted, I will be the first to point out that a virtual business is not for everyone. Based on my experiences, I recommend management, partners, and employees consider the following questions.

1. Have all the senior managers, owners, and/or partners worked virtually before? If not, I'd encourage everyone to take the next 30 or more days to work from home and see how it works. Spending your entire adult life working in an office causes you to develop habits – eating lunch with co-workers or scheduling meetings to break up the day. Working from home disrupts the routine. You may like it or hate it. If the decision to go virtual is already a done deal, this time will give management the opportunity to work out the technical glitches and emotional hiccups.

2. Do the same thing for your employees. Even if you provide the technology for everyone to work virtually, not all your employees may be disciplined enough or comfortable enough to do so. In other words, do you have the right people in place to do this? In addition, do the employees have space for a home office or will they be forced to use the kitchen table? What about office furniture and equipment? Who will provide it and where will they put it?

3. How will you hold out-of-sight employees accountable? Even if your employees don’t always get along in the traditional office space, a co-worker or manager is only a few steps away from a face-to-face meeting when it comes time to work out a disagreement, adjust priorities, mentor an employee, or collaborate on a project. When everyone is working remotely, you have altered roles and responsibilities. Instead of employing a group of competent generalists, the expectation is now one based on specialists who are productive, efficient, and good at meeting deadlines without someone looking over their shoulder. Are your employees ready and able for this challenge?

4. When working remotely, high-speed connectivity is critical. Don’t assume every employee has the bandwidth capacity to work from home on a regular basis. In fact, some employees in rural or remote locations may be limited to dial-up or unreliable connectivity. Other workers may not have purchased the fastest Internet service package. Who will pay for the upgrades and monthly service fees? How will co-workers communicate with one another and with clients? Will they use home and/or mobile phones or will you (the employer) be setting up a VOIP (Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol) phone system? Where will your data be stored – on a server or in the cloud? In either case, how will employees access the data? Who will be responsible for setting up and maintaining the necessary technology in each employee’s home?

5. How will your customers react? Will a virtual home alter your "brand" or client's perception? Where will you hold client meetings? Will the neighbors, customers, and competitors think you have gone out of business and going virtual is a prelude to shutting down the business altogether? If employees meet clients, prospects, and vendors in their homes, will the setting be business-like enough for the guests?

6. Supervising employees in a virtual business opens up a quagmire of the unknown. Compliance with compensation, benefits, and safety guidelines are still the responsibility of the employer. But OSHA and Fair Labor Standards Act are still based on the traditional workplace and predicated on a static work week. How will you hire and train new hires and develop current employees? How will you monitor hours worked? What about overtime? How will you handle a dismissal of a terminated employee? If terminated, how will you retrieve the equipment, furniture, and data? It’s not like you can escort the employee out of their own home and pack up their belongings in a box.

It's my belief that many businesses will go virtual over the next few years. But I also believe that many will fail if the decision is driven by the allure of cost savings alone. The savings won't compensate for productivity loss and mismanagement due to human factors relating to working virtually and remotely.

Are you ready to go virtual?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Telecommuting by the Numbers

What would happen to the U.S. economy if everyone who could work from home -- about 40 percent of the work force -- did so half the time. Kate Lister of the Telework Research Network, a San Diego -- based research firm, has a rough idea of what this future state might look like. The figures are annual.

$200 billion productivity gains by American companies

$190 billion savings from reduced real estate expenses, electricity bills, absenteeism, and employee turnover

100 hours per person not spent commuting

50 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions cut

276 million barrels of oil saved, or roughly 32 percent of oil imports from the Middle East

1,500 lives not lost in car accidents

$700 billion total estimated savings to American businesses

Source: Telecommuting by the Numbers

http://www.inc.com/magazine/20100401/telecommuting-by-the-numbers.html

About the author

As president of Success Performance Solutions, Ira S Wolfe helps organizations find and hire the right employees and identify high-potential leaders. He speaks nationwide on hiring, workforce trends, managing the generations in a presentation titled Geeks, Geezers, and Googlization. He is also the author of Perfect Labor Storm 2.0: Trends That Will Change the Way You Do Business.

Source : http://www.super-solutions.com/WorkingVirtual-Telework.asp

Internal audit leaders: Is HR in your audit plan?

2008-08-21T17:45:00.000-07:00

By Lisa Donoho, Protiviti

For most companies, the answer to this article’s lead in question is “no.” The next question then is, “Should it be?” Let us take a closer look.

Think about your company. If you listed the top three major expenditures, what would they be? Chances are that Human Resources (HR) expense is in your top three expenditures and is probably number one. Notice that I said HR expense, not payroll expense. There is a big difference. HR expense not only includes salaries, but also employee incentives and benefits, vacation accrual, taxes, training, workers’ compensation, equipment and supplies, and more. All of which needs to be considered when measuring the true HR cost to the organization. Knowing that, HR (not payroll) is now probably on your top three major expenditures list.

Why is HR not in your audit plan?
Here is one tell-tale reason. HR risk typically has not been a focal point for internal audit leaders or audit plans. In a 2003 global auditing survey conducted by The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), internal audit professionals were asked to rate the importance of HR audit projects in the overall audit plan: 36 percent of respondents said HR audits were a low priority, 43 percent said they were moderately important, and only 21 percent rated them very important.

What are some of the other reasons for not including HR in the audit plan? Many companies completely overlook the total, true cost of each employee when developing their audit plan. They may conduct payroll audits, but they often do not look at HR costs from a comprehensive perspective, which is essential to truly understand and favorably impact employee costs. This is true for about 90 percent of the people reading this article. If this does not apply to you, I want to congratulate you because you are in a very small group.

Another common reason for not addressing HR in the audit plan lies with executives and HR professionals themselves. They do not understand or appreciate the manner or measure to which HR decisions impact the organization’s bottom line. Alternatively, they do not see internal audit’s involvement as constructive or meaningful. Now, those of us living out the definition of internal audit in The IIA’s International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing know how to bring relevancy and value to an HR audit, but they may not perceive internal audit the same way that we do.

One additional reason could be the internal audit director or audit committee does not see this as a high risk to the organization. That may be true. But with major restatements and accounting scandals surrounding the backdating of stock options and regulations that require executive compensation disclosures, family medical leave, leave with pay, paid holidays and more, organizations must think of HR in its totality to gain an accurate understanding of the risks and business performance opportunities linked to those costs.

However, before anyone agrees to include HR in the audit plan, there must be benefits associated with this addition. What are these benefits? A properly planned and executed HR audit should achieve the following:

Creates an understanding of the true HR cost drivers and associated basket of inherent risks
Leads to more secure employee data
Increases the accuracy and reliability of financial reports and disclosures
Increases the rate of legal and regulatory compliance
Improves business performance
How does this improve business performance?
It is not uncommon for the corporate mission to include “to attract, train and retain top talent” as a key aspect. According to the CFO.com article “What Keeps CFO’s Up at Night?”, a recent survey conducted by Duke University concluded that the number one “internal” concern on the minds of CFOs is attracting and retaining qualified employees, with the cost of health benefits coming in third on their top 10 list of internal concerns. Knowing this, consider these questions:
What if HR is not aligned with the mission and is not hiring, training or paying for performance? You could be hiring the wrong people.
What if HR processes are not geared toward retention or do not proactively detect and effectively manage or mitigate employee turnover? Intellectual capital is walking out the door, and hiring and training costs are higher than necessary.
What if large streams of retiring baby boomers are depleting the organization faster than they can be replaced? Do you have an HR function that is at the leading edge of recognizing cultural changes in work environments? Do they understand and can they relate to the new crop of workers coming up who expect and demand flexible work schedules, telecommuting opportunities and more? HR should be positioned to have an effective voice and a seat at the table to convince senior leadership that the paradigm is shifting and the organization must keep pace by being competitive with its peers. Your organization is then able to adapt and achieve the goals and objectives.
Here is another interesting fact to consider. The typical employee today stays with their employer for three to four years rather than 10 years – which means that turnover is high and the return on investment for each employee may not be fully realized. How can organizations defend themselves against this trend? They must establish consistent and well-communicated policies to retain the best talent by engendering trust and loyalty among employees. The creation and maintenance of those policies should be regularly reviewed in the audit plan.

How do you include HR in the audit plan?
You can start by opening dialogue on the subject with HR executives and members of the compensation committee. Another suggested step is to facilitate a risk assessment to prioritize the risks and opportunities for improving business operations. Here are a few questions to ask during this risk assessment process:
Is the company facing potential system changes or significant business transactions, such acquisitions, divestiture, IPOs or layoffs? If so, HR could seek internal audit assistance to design effective processes and controls for data migration, severance packages or layoff strategies to mitigate the risk of compliance violations, litigation and class action suits.
Is the HR department decentralized? A decentralized department may have inconsistent policies and procedures. Decentralized HR teams could be audited to share best practices across the company and ensure that employee data is secure, policies are met, and contract compliance is in order.
Does HR have controls and processes in place that impact the financial statements? This includes processes and controls for salaries, bonuses, accruals and garnishments of wages, among other things, that, if not properly managed could pose regulatory compliance risks.
Lastly, you can leverage the knowledge and experience of a professional HR risk consultant the first time through this process to accelerate and enhance your success. Until you have the right skill set in-house, it can be the smart thing to do.
http://www.knowledgeleader.com/KnowledgeLeader/Content.nsf/Web+Content/HIIAleadersIsHRinyourauditplan!OpenDocument&Home

Internal audit leaders: Is HR in your audit plan?

2008-08-21T17:38:00.000-07:00

Internal audit leaders: Is HR in your audit plan?

By Lisa Donoho, Protiviti

For most companies, the answer to this article's lead in question is "no." The next question then is, "Should it be?" Let us take a closer look.

Think about your company. If you listed the top three major expenditures, what would they be? Chances are that Human Resources (HR) expense is in your top three expenditures and is probably number one. Notice that I said HR expense, not payroll expense. There is a big difference. HR expense not only includes salaries, but also employee incentives and benefits, vacation accrual, taxes, training, workers' compensation, equipment and supplies, and more. All of which needs to be considered when measuring the true HR cost to the organization. Knowing that, HR (not payroll) is now probably on your top three major expenditures list.

Why is HR not in your audit plan?
Here is one tell-tale reason. HR risk typically has not been a focal point for internal audit leaders or audit plans. In a 2003 global auditing survey conducted by The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), internal audit professionals were asked to rate the importance of HR audit projects in the overall audit plan: 36 percent of respondents said HR audits were a low priority, 43 percent said they were moderately important, and only 21 percent rated them very important.

What are some of the other reasons for not including HR in the audit plan? Many companies completely overlook the total, true cost of each employee when developing their audit plan. They may conduct payroll audits, but they often do not look at HR costs from a comprehensive perspective, which is essential to truly understand and favorably impact employee costs. This is true for about 90 percent of the people reading this article. If this does not apply to you, I want to congratulate you because you are in a very small group.

Another common reason for not addressing HR in the audit plan lies with executives and HR professionals themselves. They do not understand or appreciate the manner or measure to which HR decisions impact the organization's bottom line. Alternatively, they do not see internal audit's involvement as constructive or meaningful. Now, those of us living out the definition of internal audit in The IIA's International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing know how to bring relevancy and value to an HR audit, but they may not perceive internal audit the same way that we do.

One additional reason could be the internal audit director or audit committee does not see this as a high risk to the organization. That may be true. But with major restatements and accounting scandals surrounding the backdating of stock options and regulations that require executive compensation disclosures, family medical leave, leave with pay, paid holidays and more, organizations must think of HR in its totality to gain an accurate understanding of the risks and business performance opportunities linked to those costs.

However, before anyone agrees to include HR in the audit plan, there must be benefits associated with this addition. What are these benefits? A properly planned and executed HR audit should achieve the following:

Creates an understanding of the true HR cost drivers and associated basket of inherent risks
Leads to more secure employee data
Increases the accuracy and reliability of financial reports and disclosures
Increases the rate of legal and regulatory compliance
Improves business performance

How does this improve business performance?
It is not uncommon for the corporate mission to include "to attract, train and retain top talent" as a key aspect. According to the CFO.com article "What Keeps CFO's Up at Night?", a recent survey conducted by Duke University concluded that the number one "internal" concern on the minds of CFOs is attracting and retaining qualified employees, with the cost of health benefits coming in third on their top 10 list of internal concerns. Knowing this, consider these questions:

What if HR is not aligned with the mission and is not hiring, training or paying for performance? You could be hiring the wrong people.
What if HR processes are not geared toward retention or do not proactively detect and effectively manage or mitigate employee turnover? Intellectual capital is walking out the door, and hiring and training costs are higher than necessary.
What if large streams of retiring baby boomers are depleting the organization faster than they can be replaced? Do you have an HR function that is at the leading edge of recognizing cultural changes in work environments? Do they understand and can they relate to the new crop of workers coming up who expect and demand flexible work schedules, telecommuting opportunities and more? HR should be positioned to have an effective voice and a seat at the table to convince senior leadership that the paradigm is shifting and the organization must keep pace by being competitive with its peers. Your organization is then able to adapt and achieve the goals and objectives.

Here is another interesting fact to consider. The typical employee today stays with their employer for three to four years rather than 10 years which means that turnover is high and the return on investment for each employee may not be fully realized. How can organizations defend themselves against this trend? They must establish consistent and well-communicated policies to retain the best talent by engendering trust and loyalty among employees. The creation and maintenance of those policies should be regularly reviewed in the audit plan.

How do you include HR in the audit plan?
You can start by opening dialogue on the subject with HR executives and members of the compensation committee. Another suggested step is to facilitate a risk assessment to prioritize the risks and opportunities for improving business operations. Here are a few questions to ask during this risk assessment process:

Is the company facing potential system changes or significant business transactions, such acquisitions, divestiture, IPOs or layoffs? If so, HR could seek internal audit assistance to design effective processes and controls for data migration, severance packages or layoff strategies to mitigate the risk of compliance violations, litigation and class action suits.
Is the HR department decentralized? A decentralized department may have inconsistent policies and procedures. Decentralized HR teams could be audited to share best practices across the company and ensure that employee data is secure, policies are met, and contract compliance is in order.
Does HR have controls and processes in place that impact the financial statements? This includes processes and controls for salaries, bonuses, accruals and garnishments of wages, among other things, that, if not properly managed could pose regulatory compliance risks.

Lastly, you can leverage the knowledge and experience of a professional HR risk consultant the first time through this process to accelerate and enhance your success. Until you have the right skill set in-house, it can be the smart thing to do.

http://www.knowledgeleader.com/KnowledgeLeader/Content.nsf/Web+Content/HIIAleadersIsHRinyourauditplan!OpenDocument&Home

Getting the Right People - People Who Fit

2007-04-23T11:12:00.000-07:00

By: Paul Phillips

Jim Collins in his book Good to Great talks about "getting the right people on the bus" before deciding where to drive it. A key factor in getting the right people is understanding what competencies we are looking for and how to find out if someone has these. Identifying knowledge and skills is relatively easy - those above water in our Iceberg model, (Milkovich and Newman), but those underwater -self concepts, traits and motives were more difficult. However, there is a technique to help us.Firstly we need to define what competencies we are looking for.

What did past successful people have, what did the failures lack, what is required to take us forward. Once these have been defined in terms of specific behaviours required, we need to see if a potential employee has had an opportunity to demonstrate these and then to find out if they possess them.An example may be the competency of "Initiative". Has the candidate been in a job where they could have displayed this competency? Most people have. We can then ask the question "tell me about the last time you came across a problem with the way the xyz process worked in your current job. You can then probe to find out what they did about it. Use several examples and really get down to the detail to the extent that you are fairly sure they did consistently what they are telling you. If this is the case there is a good chance they will repeat this behaviour in the future. Take out more insurance though.

While they are telling you what happened, ask about the other people involved and take down their names. Then ask if you can call these people. During your reference checking, verify what they are telling you is factual and not what they think they should have done or would have liked to have done.If you carefully define what you think are the competencies of the people who will fit, plan the questions you are going to ask and be tenacious in making sure their past behaviour demonstrates these competencies, you will have increased your chance of finding the right person. The business benefitsBy having key corporate competencies, detailed in terms of behaviours, and rigorously using these to recruit, develop and manage performance will build the culture you want and will save the expense of hiring, or keeping, people who don't fit.

Paul Phillips is a Director of Horizon Management Group; a specialist human resource management consulting firm. He has over 30 years experience in HR and, while based in Australia, has worked in a number of overseas locations. www.horizonmg.com

Be Careful What You Wish For...A Bank Crisis From An HR PerspectiveBy

2007-04-23T11:06:00.000-07:00

By: Paul Phillips

Would you fly on an airline that provided huge bonuses to pilots based on how many passengers and how much freight they could cram on their aircraft and on how few costs they incur? Not unless you were desperate. We really want those people up the front end of our plane to be hired on their skills and their tendencies to comply with regulations and place safety first. While the full details, and cost, of the National Australia Bank $360 million foreign exchange disaster may never surface, the initial findings make interesting reading. Of particular interest are the comments in the PricewaterhouseCoopers' report blaming a culture of arrogance and non-compliance as a key contributor to the forex losses and the bank's new management promising to weed out "cultural misfits". While we don't know what factors were being considered when the rogue traders were being recruited, they probably weren't recruited for their adherence to rules nor excluded for arrogance.

It is quite possible the NAB wanted, as many organizations do, people with ambition, an aggressive approach to doing business and were willing to pay for results. Incentives of up to $265,000 were paid to the traders.This case reinforces the importance of organizations spending time identifying carefully the competencies required for the business to be successful. Rather than just a "wish list" or a series of descriptors for some behaviours, we need to ask the question: will someone who has these competencies succeed in our business and is that what we want? There is an old HR joke about about the briefs given for recruitment which often list conflicting attributes: "a real go getter who will quietly do what they are told", "a team player who will work independently." After identifying the desired competencies we can then consider how to recognise and reward people who demonstrate them.

Starting with the overall direction of the business, what needs to be achieved, what values are important and what successful people in the past have brought to the business will soon lead to the core competencies required. If a bank was doing this and really examined what its customers needed, integrity may come out fairly high on the list. The behaviours required to demonstrate integrity might then be identified and can be built into the recruitment, training and performance management systems. More importantly, in the case of the NAB, it would be important that incentives could not be earned if there was any doubt at all about integrity.Developing the desired competencies to specific behaviours allows planning, recruitment, training, performance management and remuneration to be congruous. This need not be a major exercise and can bring significant benefits to a business as well as provide considerable protection.

exit interviews

2007-04-16T07:04:00.000-07:00

exit interviews and knowledge transfer - tips for employees and employers, sample questions and answers

Exit interviews are interviews conducted with departing employees, just before they leave. From the employer's perspective, the primary aim of the exit interview is to learn reasons for the person's departure, on the basis that criticism is a helpful driver for organizational improvement. Exit interviews (and prior) are also an opportunity for the organization to enable transfer of knowledge and experience from the departing employee to a successor or replacement, or even to brief a team on current projects, issues and contacts. Good exit interviews should also yield useful information about the employer organization, to assess and improve all aspects of the working environment, culture, processes and systems, management and development, etc.; in fact anything that determines the quality of the organization, both in terms of its relationship with its staff, customers, suppliers, third-parties and the general public. Many employers ignore the opportunity that exit interviews offer, chiefly because exit interviews have not been practised in the past, and starting them is a difficult initiative to undertake, given the potentially subjective and 'fuzzy' nature of the results; the time involved; and the unspoken corporate urge to avoid exposure to criticism. Exit interviews are nevertheless a unique chance to survey and analyse the opinions of departing employees, who generally are more forthcoming, constructive and objective than staff still in their jobs. In leaving an organisation, departing employees are liberated, and as such provide a richer source of objective feedback than employed staff do when responding to normal staff attitude surveys.

As ever, corporate insecurity and defensiveness can be an obstacle to implementing exit interview processes, so if the organization finds it difficult to begin the practice as a matter of general policy, you can still undertake your own exit interviews locally with your own staff as and when they leave.

From the departing employee interviewee perspective, an exit interview is a chance to give some constructive feedback, and to leave on a positive note, with good relations and mutual respect. Recrimination, blame, revenge and spite are destructive feelings and behaviours, so resist any temptation you might have to go out all guns blazing. Be calm, fair, objective and as helpful as possible. In the future you may wish to return to the organization (situations and people change..), and you may cross the paths of your ex-colleagues, managers in the future. The adage about treating people well on your way up because you might meet them on the way down applies just as well on your way out. The exit interview is an opportunity to shake hands and leave friends, not enemies.

On which point...

exit interviews and knowledge transfer

The days, weeks (or months in some cases) between the decision for the employee to leave, and the employee's actual departure date offer a crucial opportunity for the organization to gather important information and knowledge from the employee. This is especially relevant in roles where the employee has accumulated a significant amount of knowledge and personal connections, as typically applies in sales and buying roles, and obviously business unit management. The knowledge of the departing employee commonly has immense value, and the recovery of it is often overlooked altogether by the organization, until the employee has departed, or more likely been hurried out of the door holding the contents of their desk in a cardboard box.

When any employee resigns, or a decision is made for a person to leave for any reason, always ask: Should we spend some time thinking about how to enable some sort of knowledge transfer? In other words, if we place a value on the knowledge that the departing employee holds, isn't it worth thinking about how to enable this knowledge to be passed to the appropriate people remaining in the organization?

Instead of course all too often, senior management's response to all the head-scratching after a vital person has left, is to rationalise the loss of information (and vital personal contacts often) with the old cliché, "No-one is indispensable". The adage might ultimately be true, but that's not really the point. The fact is that most people who leave do actually possess useful (often critical) knowledge and experience. Moreover most departing employees are delighted to share this knowledge, to help a successor, or to brief a management team, if only the organization would simply ask them politely to do so (assuming their exit is handled decently of course, which the exit interview helps to enable).

This is another good reason for thinking properly about the exit procedure, and for properly organising some form of exit interview process.

So much depends of course on the atmosphere surrounding the departure. Often, particularly in sales, there is suspicion and imagined threat on both sides, which rather weakens the chances of a helpful hand-over. This mistrust should be diffused - it really does nobody any good. In an ideal world the leaver should be encouraged and enabled (and arguably rewarded if necessary) to hold a briefing meeting, which all interested parties (and certainly the person's replacement if possible) can attend and learn what they need to know. Regrettably however, it is not unusual for traditional-type 'theory-X' sales directors and managers to be so intoxicated with testosterone and the taste of blood that such suggestions rarely make it off the stony ground of the board-room. I would urge you to take a more open constructive view. Give people the benefit of doubt, and discourage the kill'em and eat'em advocates from retaliating before there's any suggestion of being attacked. There are some suggested enabling questions below.

For organizations large and small, exit interviews therefore provide lots of advantages and opportunities:

exit interviews aims and outcomes

They provide an opportunity to 'make peace' with disgruntled employees, who might otherwise leave with vengeful intentions.
Exit interviews are seen by existing employees as a sign of positive culture. They are regarded as caring and compassionate - a sign that the organisation is big enough to expose itself to criticism.
Exit interviews accelerate participating managers' understanding and experience of managing people and organizations. Hearing and handling feedback is a powerful development process.
Exit interviews help to support an organization's proper HR practices. They are seen as positive and necessary for quality and effective people-management by most professional institutes and accrediting bodies concerned with quality management of people, organizations and service.
The results and analysis of exit interviews provide relevant and useful data directly into training needs analysis and training planning processes.
Exit interviews provide valuable information as to how to improve recruitment and induction of new employees.
Exit interviews provide direct indications as to how to improve staff retention.
Sometimes an exit interview provides the chance to retain a valuable employee who would otherwise have left (organizations often accept resignations far too readily without discussion or testing the firmness of feeling - the exit interview provides a final safety net).
A significant proportion of employee leavers will be people that the organization is actually very sorry to leave (despite the post-rationalisation and sour grapes reactions of many senior executives to the departure of their best people). The exit interview therefore provides an excellent source of comment and opportunity relating to management succession planning. Good people leave often because they are denied opportunity to grow and advance. Wherever this is happening organizations need to know about it and respond accordingly.
Every organization has at any point in time several good people on the verge of leaving because they are not given the opportunity to grow and develop, at the same time, ironically, that most of the management and executives are overworked and stretched, some to the point of leaving too. Doesn't it therefore make good sense to raise the importance of marrying these two situations to provide advantage both ways - ie., facilitate greater delegation of responsibility to those who want it? Exit interviews are an excellent catalyst for identifying specific mistakes and improvement opportunities in this vital area of management development and succession.
Exit interviews, and a properly organised, positive exit process also greatly improve the chances of successfully obtaining and transferring useful knowledge, contacts, insights, tips and experience, from the departing employee to all those needing to know it, especially successors and replacements. Most leavers are happy to help if you have the courage and decency to ask and provide a suitable method for the knowledge transfer, be it a briefing meeting, a one-to-one meeting between the replacement and the leaver, or during the exit interview itself.

Exit interviews are best conducted face-to-face because this enables better communication, understanding, interpretation etc., and it provides far better opportunity to probe and get to the root of sensitive or reluctant feelings. However, postal or electronic questionnaires are better than nothing, if face-to-face exit interviews are not possible for whatever reason (although I remain to be convinced that there is never a proper excuse for not sitting down for 30 minutes with any departing employee.....)

In some cases perhaps a particularly shy employee may prefer to give their feedback in a questionnaire form, in which case this is fine, but where possible, face-to-face is best.

In terms of managing the interview, listen rather than talk. Give the interviewee time and space to answer. Coax and reassure where appropriate, rather than pressurise. Interpret, reflect and understand (you can understand someone without necessarily agreeing). Keep calm, resist the urge to defend or argue - your aim is to elicit views, feedback, answers, not to lecture or admonish. Ask open 'what/how/why' questions, not 'closed' yes/no questions, unless you require specific confirmation about a point. 'When' and 'where' are also more specific qualifying questions, unless of course they are used in a general context rather than specific time or geographic sense. 'Who' should be used with care to avoid witch-hunts or defamatory risks (moreover many exit interviewees will be uncomfortable if asked to name people or allocate personal blame - exit interviews are not about 'blame', the allocation of which is not constructive and should be avoided for anything other than very serious complaints or accusations, which must then be suitably referred as follow-up would be beyond the normal exit interview remit.

Prepare your exit interview questions and topics that you'd like to explore, especially when you believe that the interviewee has good experience, appreciation and understanding.

Take notes and/or use a prepared questionnaire form.

Importantly, see also the job interviews page for interviews techniques, which relate to exit interviews too. Remember simple planning aspects such as arranging a suitable time and place, avoiding interruptions, taking notes, preparing questions, being aware of the body-language and feelings of the interviewee and adjusting your own approach accordingly, etc.

Obviously the style of exit interview is different for someone who is being asked to leave, retiring, being made redundant, dismissed, or leaving under a cloud, compared to an employee leaving whom the organization would prefer to retain. However everyone who leaves should be given the opportunity of an exit interview, and the organization can learn something from every situation. In certain situations (where appropriate) the exit interview also provides a last chance to change a person's mind, although this should not be the main aim of the exit interview situation.

When the interview is complete say thanks and wish the interviewee well. If there is some specific checking or follow-up to do then ensure you do it and report back accordingly.

After the interview look at the answers and think properly - detached and objective - about what their meaning and implications.

Take action as necessary, depending on your processes for analysing and reporting exit interview feedback. If there's an urgent issue, or the person wants to stay and you want to keep them, then act immediately or the opportunity will be lost.

exit interviews - responsibilities, process and outcomes

Participation in exit interviews by the employee leaving is voluntary. Do not compel departing employees to attend exit interviews. Offer a questionnaire form alternative, which again must be voluntary.

You cannot compel a departing employee to give you knowledge that is in their head, although the return of files, paperwork and material is normally something that an employer rightfully can insist happens. In any event, a positive constructive, grown-up approach is the best assurance of a happy outcome and an optimal transfer of knowledge and contact names, etc., should this be helpful, which often it will be.

If you hear any of your people using the ridiculously confrontational maxim " No-one is indispensable..", as a defence for not bothering to gather important knowledge from a departing employee it probably suggests that all opportunities for a cooperative hand-over have yet to be explored, so encourage people to explore them, or go explore them yourself.

Ideally the organization should have a documented policy stating how exit interviews happen, when, and by whom. Some organizations hand the responsibility to a skilled interviewer in the HR or Personnel department. Alternatively line-managers or even supervisors can conduct the interviews. Interviewers need to be trained to interview, just as for normal job interviews. All types of interviews are sensitive emotional situations which require ability and maturity to manage properly, especially if interviewees are anxious or volatile.

In large organizations HR or Personnel department should be responsible for designing the process, issuing guidelines and documentation, collecting results data, analysing and reporting findings, trends, opportunities and recommendations, especially including anything relating to health and safety, or employment law and liability.

If you design a questionnaire or exit interview form which will be used as an input document towards central analysis it is a good idea to convert questions wherever practicable into a 'scoreable' and/or multiple-choice format, which makes analysis far easier than lots of written opinions.

Actions resulting from exit interview feedback analysis, in any size or type of organization, fall into two categories:

Remedial and preventative, for example improving health and safety issues, stress, harassment, discrimination., etc.
Strategic improvement opportunities, for example improved induction, management or supervisory training, empowerment or team building initiatives, process improvement, wastage and efficiencies improvements, customer service initiatives, etc.

The head of HR or Personnel would normally be responsible for raising these issues with the board or CEO, and the conversion of exit interview feedback into action is a critical factor in justifying and maintaining a serious priority and operation of the process.

For many organizations, exit interviews provide a major untapped source of 'high-yield' development ideas and opportunities. Use them.

sample exit interview questions

These questions can be used in face-to-face exit interviews, or to compile exit interview proforma questionnaires or electronic feedback forms.

If using these questions to compile forms to be used for large scale analysis take care to format the questions into a format which can be analysed numerically, as far as is reasonable (certain questions and answers will always be difficult to format in this way, for example the 'how do you feel about...?' and open-ended questions seeking ideas and suggestions - such questions and can only be analysed and reported 'by exception' when something of particular note crops up, or of a particular recurring theme is spotted).

In face-to-face interviews particularly, use the word 'why' if you want to probe, especially if the first answer is vague or superficial. Questions beginning with 'what' and 'how' are better for getting people to think and convey to you properly and honestly about their views. Some of these questions samples are more suitable for management employees, although always give people at all levels the chance to comment on issues normally 'above' their remit - you'll be surprised at how informed and insightful people can be. These questions examples are not in a sequential process, although broadly there is a logic to the order of the types of questions. There are lots more questions here than you would normally ask in a typical exit interview. Pick the questions that are most relevant to the leaving circumstances, the interviewee and your organization situation.

Tell me about how you've come to decide to leave?
What is your main reason for leaving?
What are the other reasons for your leaving?
Why is this important, or so significant for you?
Within the (particular reason to leave) what was it that concerned you particularly?
What could have been done early on to prevent the situation developing/provide a basis for you to stay with us?
How would you have preferred the situation(s) to have been handled?
What opportunities can you see might have existed for the situation/problems to have been averted/dealt with satisfactorily?
What can you say about the processes and procedures or systems that have contributed to the problem(s)/your decision to leave?
What specific suggestions would you have for how the organization could manage this situation/these issues better in future?
How do you feel about the organization?
What has been good/enjoyable/satisfying for you in your time with us?
What has been frustrating/difficult/upsetting to you in your time with us?
What could you have done better or more for us had we given you the opportunity?
What extra responsibility would you have welcomed that you were not given?
How could the organization have enabled you to make fuller use of your capabilities and potential?
What training would you have liked or needed that you did not get, and what effect would this have had?
How well do think your training and development needs were assessed and met?
What training and development that you had did you find most helpful and enjoyable?
What can you say about communications within the organization/your department?
What improvements do you think can be made to customer service and relations?
How would you describe the culture or 'feel' of the organization?
What could you say about communications and relations between departments, and how these could be improved?
Were you developed/inducted adequately for your role(s)?
What improvement could be made to the way that you were inducted/prepared for your role(s)?
(For recent recruits of less than a year or so:) What did you think about the way we recruited you? How did the reality alter from your expectations when you first joined us? How could we have improved your own recruitment? How could your induction training have been improved?
How could you have been helped to better know/understand/work with other departments necessary for the organization to perform more effectively?
What can you say about the way your performance was measured, and the feedback to you of your performance results?
How well do you think the appraisal system worked for you?
What would you say about how you were motivated, and how that could have been improved?
What suggestion would you make to improve working conditions, hours, shifts, amenities, etc?
What would you say about equipment and machinery that needs replacing or upgrading, or which isn't fully/properly used for any reason?
What can you say about the way you were managed?... On a day to day basis?....... And on a month to month basis?
How would you have changed the expectations/objectives/aims (or absence of) that were placed on you? ...... And why?
What, if any, ridiculous examples of policy, rules, instructions, can you highlight?
What examples of ridiculous waste (material or effort), pointless reports, meetings, bureaucracy, etc., could you point to?
How could the organization reduce stress levels among employees where stress is an issue?
How could the organization enabled you to have made better use of your time?
What things did the organization or management do to make your job more difficult/frustrating/non-productive?
How can the organization gather and make better use of the views and experience of its people?
Aside from the reason(s) you are leaving, how strongly were you attracted to committing to a long and developing career with us?
What can the organization do to retain its best people (and not lose any more like you)?
Have you anything to say about your treatment from a discrimination or harassment perspective?
Would you consider working again for us if the situation were right?
Are you happy to say where you are going (if you have decided)?
What particularly is it about them that makes you want to join them?
What, importantly, are they offering that we are not?
(If appropriate:) Could you be persuaded to renegotiate/stay/discuss the possibility of staying?
Can we be of any particular help to you in this move/deciding what to do next (we can't promise anything obviously)?

And, to address opportunities for knowledge-transfer prior to departure, possibly in advance of exit interview:

knowledge transfer questions

Start thinking about using these questions when the employee and the organization knows that the employee will be leaving. Don't leave these questions until the exit interview.

How might we benefit from your knowledge, experience, introductions to your contacts, etc., prior to your departure?
Would you be happy to take part in a briefing meeting with managers/replacements/successor/colleagues so that we can benefit from your knowledge and experience, prior to your leaving?
What can we do to enable you to pass on as much of your knowledge and experience as possible to your replacement/successor prior to your departure?
How and when would you prefer to pass on your knowledge to your successor?
I realise that you'll not be happy with the situation surrounding your departure, however we would really appreciate it if you could help us to understand some of the important things you've been working on - how might we agree for this knowledge to be transferred?
We'd be grateful for you to introduce (name of successor) to your key contacts before you go - are you happy to help with this?

As ever, you will derive most for the organization, and be able to give most help to the departing employee, by being positive, constructive, understanding and helpful, prior to and during the exit interview process. Treat people with integrity and decency, and generally they will respond in kind.

See also the techniques for job interviews, which are relevant to conducting exit interviews too.

Other training aids and tools - word/excel/powerpoint format free downloads

2007-04-16T07:03:00.000-07:00

Free Download !

MBTI function dominance diagram in powerpoint slide format - with thanks to Simon Pusey - (7 Nov)

time management questionnaire - word - for time management improvement and training - use with time log below

time management activity log template - excel - good aid for time management training

perceptions matrix - word - fascinating illustration of how different personalities see each other, based on the 'four temperaments/DISC' personality profiling theory - great for team building and communications training - includes blank worksheet and answers

short training feedback sheet - word - simple training feedback form for end of training course or programme

training certificate template - word - ready-to-use professional training certificate template - adapt to suit your training situation

training process flow-chart diagram - word - illustration of classical training process for individuals and organizations - use as an example or as a tool to develop and train your own training processes

win-win game and score-sheet based on the prisoner's dilemma puzzle - word - good for team building, workshops, training and collaborative attitudes development

Management tools - excel or word format free downloads

2007-04-16T07:02:00.000-07:00

Free Download !

free profit and loss (P&L) account trading planning template tool (MSExcel) for small businesses/enterprises/self-employment business plans, accounts and forecasting - adapt for your own purposes

free SWOT analysis template worksheet version (MSWord)

activity management template (MSExcel file) - personal organisation and management/coaching tool

delegation template tool based on SMART technique - excel - simple, flexible, powerful aid for effective delegation and agreeing and following up SMART objectives

performance appraisals form - MSWord - sophisticated modern performance appraisals form - effectively a process in its own right - including self-assessment section and the essential appraisal elements - adapt to suit your situation (revised August 2006)

Project Management Tips - (MSWord format) free project management training materials

Project Management Templates - (MSWord format) free templates for project management

(With thanks to Ron Rosenhead of The Project Agency for these two project management materials)

Personality tests and other indicators - excel or word format free downloads

2007-04-16T07:01:00.000-07:00

FREE Download !

free multiple intelligences test - adult and/or young people - based on Gardner's model - in MSExcel self-calculating format

free Multiple Intelligences test - manual test in MSExcel

free Multiple Intelligences test - manual test for young people in MSExcel

free VAK learning styles multiple-choice questionnaire test - MSWord file - simple quick free assessment of personal VAK learning style

leadership and motivation assessment tool - word - are you a truly motivational leader? - a modern leadership self-test provided by leadership writer Blair Palmer

motivation indicator simple test - excel - flexible individual motivation assessment tool, loosely based on Herzberg motivators and hygiene factors - good workshop tool

personality profile and motivation test - excel - multi-facet personality test and discussion document for reviews, appraisals, and career direction dicusssions

graphology (handwriting anlysis) self-test - word - good for workshops, meetings and personality profiling awareness and training

management style test based on McGregor's XY-Theory - word - to assess individual preferred management style, and actual organizational management style

Sales development tools - excel or word format free downloads

2007-04-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

FREE Download !

monthly sales report template - MSExcel - adapt and develop for your own situation

sales and business strategic planning tool - MSExcel - for prioritising activities and customers - good for sales and business workshops and meetings

sales and business development process flow diagram - word - simple effective method of sales and business development - simple off-the-shelf selling process (see also the sections on sales training and buying facilitation)

sales funnel planning tool - word - simple tool for sales planning, from targeted prospect base through sales conversion stages, to sales values and numbers required - excellent sales planning workshop aid, and sales management tool

Training, teaching, personal development and training needs and competencies assessment tools - excel or word format free downloads

2007-04-16T06:59:00.000-07:00

FREE Download !

free CV template and guidance notes - MSWord - single sheet format, UK A4 paper size - into which you can insert your own details - adapt it to suit your purposes

free new mental concentration test - MSWord - mostly for fun - also good for illustrating the need to read test questions before attempting answers

free multiple intelligences test - based on Gardner's model - in MSExcel self-calculating format

free induction training checklist working tool with suggested training items - MSExcel file

free VAK learning styles multiple-choice questionnaire test - MSWord file - (ack V Chislett)

lesson plan/training session planner and timings calculator (also acts as training checklist template) - Excel File - (ack N Darwent)

team-building activities evaluation form and outcomes notes, based on Kirkpatrick's Learning Evaluation Model - Excel file

quick training evaluation and feedback form, based on Kirkpatrick's Learning Evaluation Model - Excel file

360 degree appraisals form template - MSWord

360 degree appraisals form template - MSExcel

Leslie Rae's excellent before-and-after three-stage training evalution tool - Excel - good tool for all training courses and learning experiences, also for group training effectiveness evaluation

set of different training evaluation forms and tools - Word - Leslie Rae's excellent set of training evaluation questionnaires - free to adapt and use

training planner tool - Excel - simple, flexible tool for planning and designing training courses - good for train-the-trainer courses too - breaks down the training design process into achievable elements - helps you eat the elephant one bite at a time

manager skill-set assessment tool - (updated Aug 2006) - Excel - flexible individual assessment tool - use to provide input data for group training needs analysis tool below - see the instructions for use and capability scoring guide

training needs analysis tool - manager skill-set - (updated Aug 2006) - Excel - a simple, flexible and powerful working spreadsheet tool for training needs analysis, jobs and skills audits, and an easy way to identify, prioritise and plan group training - use in conjunction with individual assessment tool above - see the instructions for use and capability scoring guide

management skill-set assessment tool - Serbian Language version! (not such an obscure thing if you are working in Serbia....) - see the instructions for use and capability scoring guide

coaching template for skills or capability assessment - excel - flexible coaching review template tool

template for assessing presentations - excel - good for presentations training, especially to control and encourage objective and fair group feedback

assessment tool for individuals - commercial/business/sales skill-set - excel - flexible individual assessment tool - use to assess individual training needs and priorities, and to provide input data for group training needs analysis tool below - adapt skill elements for your job roles - see the instructions for use and capability scoring guide

training needs analysis for groups - working spreadsheet - commercial/business/sales role simple, flexible and powerful working spreadsheet tool for groups and organizational training needs analysis, job and skills audits, and for identifying training needs, priorities and plans for groups - use with above personal assessment input tool - adapt and add skill elements for your job roles - see the instructions for use and capability scoring guide

Diagrams - or powerpoint format free downloads - msword, excel

2007-04-16T06:58:00.000-07:00

Free Download !

John Fisher's Process of Personal Transition diagram - in powerpoint - 2003 version (ack J Fisher) - see notes

Actual Total Cost diagram - in powerpoint - for selling and buying, and understanding actual cost

Porter's Five Forces of Competitive Position diagram - MSWord

Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs diagram, original five levels - MSWord - and in colour

Hierarchy of Needs seven levels diagram, adapted from Maslow's original model - MSWord

Hierarchy of Needs eight levels diagram, adapted from Maslow's original model - MSWord

J Stacey Adams Equity Theory diagram - MSWord - now in glorious living colour

Douglas Mcgregor XY-Theory diagram - MSWord - and in colour

The Businessballs Herzberg space-rocket diagram - word - simple effective illustration of Herzberg's motivational theory - a picture tells a thousand words

Johari Window diagram and adapted illustration based on Ingham and Luft's concept - word - good for all sorts of training and learning - aid to understanding and using the simple and powerful Johari Window concept

David Kolb's learning styles diagram (mono) - MSWord - illustration of Kolb's learning styles theory (updated May 2006)

Kolb's learning styles diagram (colour) - MSWord (May 2006)

workplace posture herzberg diagram - word - explains workplace posture from herzberg theory perspective

Free working files - msword and excel format free downloads

2007-04-16T06:57:00.000-07:00

Here are free MSWord, MSExcel or MSPowerpoint working files of many of the above pdf diagrams, templates and tools etc. These materials are free to view, download, adapt and use, provided copyright, www.businessballs.com source, and disclaimer are retained. The materials are not to be sold or published, and are not to be made available on any other website.

If you are unable to open MSOffice files (word, excel, powerpoint, etc) try OpenOffice.Org free 'open source' software - it seems to do pretty well everything that Office does and a few more things besides.

Free Tests and Indicators (Skill/Behaviour/Personality) and Fun Quizzes - pdf format

2007-04-16T06:25:00.000-07:00

FREE Download

Multiple Intelligences Test - for Adults - based on Howard Gardner's model - manual version - pdf

Multiple Intelligences Test - for Young People - based on Howard Gardner's model - manual version - pdf

VAK Learning Styles Free Questionnaire Self-Test - pdf format

New Mental Concentration Test (pdf file) - mostly for fun - good for illustrating the need to read test questions before attempting answers

Quick Trivia Quiz in MSWord, with questions and answers sheets - if you need a warm-up quiz quickly, here's one we made earlier, (featuring questions from the trivia quiz and puzzles page)

'BLISS' Career Planning and Job Choice Validation Tool - (Ack. Pranav Wadnerkar)

Big Boys Toys Table Quiz - (Ack. John Hespe)

Mental Agility Test - (Ack. Graeme Hall)

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs 5-level quick test - based on Maslow's original 5 stage model

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs 8-level quick test - based on the adapted 8 stage model

McGregor XY Theory indicator - for individuals and organisations

Graphology test template - handwriting personality indicator and self-test/introduction

Personal profile indicator template - ideal for interviews, appraisals or personal reflection

Good Practice Guide to Completing Psychometric Tests and Assessment Centres - an excellent free e-book by Delroy Constantine-Simms - This superb resource is helpful for interviewees, and for interviewers, and this contribution is gratefully acknowledged - (4 Oct)

These free online resources are available to view and download as Acrobat pdf files - you'll need Acrobat reader to do this, which is freely available on the web.

Skills/Competencies Audits, Assessments and Feedback Forms/Templates, Training Certificates Templates

2007-04-16T06:23:00.000-07:00

Free Download !

Lesson/Training Planner

Free pdf sample training certificate template.

Free MSWord file training certificate template for you to adapt.

Behavioural Change Assessment Tool - for before and after training, by WL Rae - (completed example here)

Training Programme Evaluation Toolkit - a pdf, author WL Rae - see also his Training Evaluation Process Guide

Management Skills Assessment tool - (updated Aug 2006) quick easy skills-audit tool pdf - see the instructions for use and capability scoring guide - working version in MSExcel in working files section below

Management Training Needs Analysis example - (updated Aug 2006) pdf - see the instructions for use and capability scoring guide - working version in MSExcel in working files section below

Performance Appraisal Form - modern performance appraisal form including self-assessment section (revised August 2006)

Personal Review Form Example - courtesy Manchester University RSD

Time management survey form - pre-training questionnaire

Time management time-log form template - time-management training or personal development tool

Time management activity scheduler template - easy and effective time management weekly task scheduler template

Quick training feedback form template

Medium training feedback form template

Line-manager training feedback form template

Skill-set and behaviour-set assessment template - sales/management/commercial role - (updated Aug 2006) - instructions for use - working version in MSExcel in working files section below

Training Needs Analysis (TNA) template - sales/management/commercial role - (updated Aug 2006) - instructions for use - working version in MSExcel in working files section below

Presentation skills assessment template - for presentation skills review and assessment

Example Induction Training Feedback Form (1 mth) - courtesy MU RSD

Example Induction Training Feedback Form (3 mth) - courtesy MU RSD

Skill-set and behaviour-set assessment template - basic commercial junior role - instructions for use

Training Needs Analysis Sample - general work competencies (updated Aug 2006)

dispute and grievance guides - UK disputes resolutions law effective 2004

2007-04-16T06:22:00.000-07:00

Discipline and Grievance DTI Guidance for Small Firms - (pdf) (Note this is © Crown Copyright, Source DTI)

Guidance on the Employment Act 2002 (Dispute Resolution) Regulations 2004 (pdf) and associated provisions in the Employment Act 2002. Full comprehensive DTI dispute resolution regulations guide. (Note this is © Crown Copyright, Source DTI)

Employee guide to grievance procedures including examples of grievance letters templates, samples. DTI guide. (Note this is © Crown Copyright, Source DTI)

Team Briefing Examples and Templates

2007-04-16T06:21:00.000-07:00

Free Download !

Manchester University's Registrar and Secretary's department has developed an excellent range of Team Briefing materials. We are grateful for their permission to feature them here. Other useful materials are available at the RSD Investors In People website.

Example Team Briefing User Guide - courtesy Manchester University RSD

Example Team Briefing Core Brief Template - courtesy MU RSD

Example Team Briefing Local Brief Template - courtesy MU RSD

Example Team Briefing Local Brief Questions Preparation Template - courtesy MU RSD

Example Team Briefing Feedback Form Template - courtesy MU RSD

Example Team Briefing Attendance Record Template - courtesy MU RSD

Free Human Resources and Training Tools - pdf format

2007-04-16T06:20:00.000-07:00

FREE Download !

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Information

The Emotional Competence Framework - a generic Emotional Intelligence (EQ) competence framework produced by Daniel Goleman and the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence covering in summary:

personal competence - self-awareness, self-regulation, self-motivation
social competence - social awareness, social skills

'Emotional Intelligence: what is it and why it matters'. An excellent information paper by Dr Cary Cherniss originally presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, in New Orleans, April 2000. This is a detailed history and explanation of Emotional Intelligence.

The Business Case for Emotional Intelligence - a paper by Dr Cary Cherniss featuring 19 referenced business and organizational case studies demonstrating how emotional intelligence contributes to corporate profit performance. The paper is an excellent tool which trainers, HR professionals and visionaries can use to help justify focus, development, assessment, etc., of EQ in organizations.

Guidelines for Promoting Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace - a paper chiefly constructed by Dr Cary Cherniss and Daniel Goleman featuring 22 guidelines which represent the best current knowledge relating to the promotion of EQ in the workplace.

The above excellent free Emotional Intelligence materials in pdf file format (Acrobat Reader required to view) are provided with permission of Daniel Goleman on behalf of the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence, which is gratefully acknowledged.

Free Management, Training and Sales Development Tools/Processes/Materials - pdf format

2007-04-16T06:16:00.000-07:00

Free Download !

Peter Drucker Biography and Theory Summary - thanks to Mike Warren of Grey Matter - (12 Apr 2007)

MBTI Function Dominance diagram in Powerpoint PDF format - with thanks to Simon Pusey - (7 Nov 2006)

Monthly Sales Report Template (PDF) - also available as a working MSExcel tool below. Same principle applies for weekly sales reporting.

Profit and Loss Account (P&L) Small Enterprise Business Plan Example (PDF) - also available as a working MSExcel tool below. The numbers could be anything: ten times less, ten times more, a hundred times more - the principle is the same.

Free CV Template and Guidance Notes - PDF format

Unleash the Power of Consultative Selling - excellent free 200 page e-book (560KB pdf) by Rich Grehalva on modern selling methods - this superb ebook has been kindly offered free to businessballs visitors by selling expert Rich Grehalva. Your feedback on this ebook would be appreciated, which you can send direct to Rich or to me.

Free motivational, inspirational, safety and funny posters

Free CACI ACORN 2005 UK Demographics Profiles and User Guide - 104 page document (NB large pdf file - 8.5MB) containing detailed UK demographics and percentages for 2005. Please note this is a big file. This excellent resource is free from the Businessballs website with permission from CACI.

Activity Management and Reporting Template Tool (pdf - MSExcel version below in working files section)

Awaken The Leader In You - ten wonderful principles of modern leadership, by author Sharif Khan

Sales Success Factors Research Report - the five key factors for successful selling, courtesy Trainique Ltd (see the summary report page, and the remarkable Sales Activator® sales training games and development system)

Three Sample Chapters from Sharon Drew Morgen's new ground-breaking sales book 'Buying Facilitation®'

Sales Funnel Model - sales planning tool

Sales Development Model - flow diagram, esp. useful for business-to-business sales, sales management and strategic planning

Customers/prospects priority investment and development matrix - effective tool for sales planning

Delegation SMART task template - management template, esp. for MBO's (management by objectives)

Example Induction Training Guide - courtesy MU RSD

Example Induction Checklist - courtesy MU RSD

Training Planner template - simple training planning template - simple and effective

Example Induction Training Planning template - courtesy MU RSD

Training elements/exercise review template - skills analysis and training assessment tool - for groups or trainers

Free 'Prisoner's Dilemma' Win-Win game - game and scorecard to demonstrate team-working and co-operation benefits

Project Management Tips - (PDF format) free project management training materials

Project Management Templates - (PDF format) free templates for project management

(With thanks to Ron Rosenhead of The Project Agency for these two project management materials)

Free Theory and Process Diagrams - pdf format

2007-04-16T06:07:00.000-07:00

Free Download !

SWOT Analysis Blank Template Worksheet - with criteria examples - pdf

Actual Total Cost diagram - pdf (Ack C Barrat) - see section on purchasing management and buying strategy)

Porter's Five Forces of Competitive Position diagram - pdf

People Performance Potential Model - pdf matrix diagram (Ack J Addy) - Origin suggestions please

Herzberg's Motivators and Hygiene Factors diagram - rocket and launch pad analogy

Herzberg's Motivators and Hygiene Factors graph diagram

Ingam and Luft Johari Window model daigram (landscape) - adapted and developed diagram for personal and inter-personal development

Ingam and Luft Johari Window model diagram (portrait) - adapted and developed diagram for personal and inter-personal development

John Fisher's Process of Transition diagram updated 2003 version - see original below and notes.

J Fisher's Process of Transition diagram original 2000 version - the stages of personal change (ack John Fisher). See notes also.

J. Stacey Adams Equity Theory diagram

Douglas McGregor XY Theory diagram

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Diagram - original 1950's five-level model

Hierarchy of Needs Diagram - adapted 1970's seven-level model

Hierarchy of Needs Diagram - adapted 1990's eight-level model

Kolb's Learning Styles Diagram (mono) - updated May 2006

Kolb's Learning Styles Diagram (colour) - (May 2006)

Training Process Diagram

Personal Review Flow Diagram - courtesy Manchester University RSD.

Employee Handbook Outline Rules

2007-04-16T06:05:00.000-07:00

by Geoffrey Glaser

Why do many companies have employee handbooks when there isn't a law that requires one?

Because of their usefulness, even for small companies. They simultaneously and very effectively serve many purposes.

Their major role is the communication of information to supervisors and, most of all, employees. A very important secondary function of the handbook is its assistance to the company in its defense against charges of impropriety.

Historically, business owners had all the rights of landowners, and thus were fully protected under Common Law to do as they pleased with respect to the company, company property and company employees. In recent years, employer's rights in many areas have been eroded through federal and state laws, such as Equal Employment Opportunity, Occupational Safety and Health and the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Some of these employment laws require companies to post notices so that all employees are aware of their rights.

(In Illinois today, employers must have a minimum of four federal and three state employment posters. Additional posters may be required, depending on the industry and number of employees.)

Furthermore, laws passed in the last few years, such as the Americans With Disabilities Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act, and very recent court cases, particularly regarding employment-at-will and sexual harassment, require employers to notify employees of certain rights and obligations before they are exercised.

The laws do not specify how employers must relate this information to their employees, but they do specifically decree that if an employee. handbook is maintained, these provisions must be included. Failure to comply can result in fines and, worse yet, an almost presumption of guilt if sued.

Accordingly, through such documents, employers are notifying employees about the legal rights and obligations they both have. This keeps the company in compliance with the laws, while raising the awareness of the employees.

Employers also have learned from case law that it is advantageous to put other important information in writing.

For example, when unemployment compensation is contested, the hearing officer will ask the employer if the employee's conduct was against any written company policy or rule and, also if the discharged employee was warned by the company that his/her conduct could lead to discharge. Therefore, items such as rules of conduct, safety rules and disciplinary procedures are included in hand books.

The handbook provision of employment-at-will and the progressive discipline procedure are valuable tools for the company in its defense against many charges, particularly wrongful discharge claims. Without such evidence, the burden of proof is dramatically harder for the employer to meet.

Consequently, employers have learned to include provisions in handbooks in order to better manage some of the crisis associated with the employer/ employee relationship.

While every risk of litigation cannot be anticipated, an employee handbook represents a proactive way to deal with potential problems, rather than being simply reactive.

Many other important items are also placed in this document, such as benefit summaries, vacations, pay practices, and other conditions including rights and privileges of employment. Thus, a handbook becomes a very useful communications device.

Employee surveys continuously reveal that employees want to feel included in, and informed about things that affect them at work.

With all the downswing layoffs, smaller wage increases, increased benefit costs, less money spent on training, etc., employees can at least look to this form of communication to help them "connect" with their company. New concepts, including employee participation, empower, meet, teams and consensus management, all rely on a base of increased communications among employees. Employee handbooks are a tremendous help in this regard.

Also, when rules and roles are put in writing, it leads to a more consistent administration. Everyone knows the expectations and requirements. This prevents disagreements, claims of favoritism or discrimination and lack of enforcement of programs.

On the other hand, some employers say they do not like this idea. They argue they want to retain their flexibility, rely on their open door policy or foster an informal, family-like atmosphere. They think handbooks are for only big companies.

This thinking is certainly not the way of doing business. Furthermore, I believe they would be shocked to learn how their employees actually feel about these arguments.

There are clear advantages to written and consistently followed policies. I advise my clients to have an employee handbook to include all of the legal requirements that have occurred in recent years.

Do-it-yourself or cookie cutter handbooks can be purchased for a couple hundred dollars. Often, they do not have the legal technicalities required to be in compliance with the many complicated employment laws and ambiguous court decisions. This truly requires the input of an expert.

A few of the advantages of employee handbooks are clarification of expectations, and fair and consistent administration of policies. Carefully written policies can actually improve morale, prevent costly disagreements and keep an employer out of court.

"Making it up as you go along" on human resource issues can be very risky business today.

Geoffrey Glaser is an HR attorney and generalist with 25 years of experience and is a Human Resource Store associate. You can access him through our legal hotline, which is included in our package of Outsourced Human Resource Services, by calling us at 708-645-2530 24 hours daily.

3 Proven Ways To Lower Employee Costs

2007-04-16T05:59:00.000-07:00

3 Proven Ways To Lower Employee Costs

Did you know that with the right vision, programs and people in place your HR department can lower costs and increase morale and productivity? That this will allow you to keep the people you can't afford to lose and lose those people you can't afford to keep?

Here are 3 ways to immediately lower employee costs:

1. Educate and train people in "your way of doing business."

This means making sure everyone is aware of what your vision, values and key goals are AND what is expected of them. People cannot help you achieve the outcome you desire if they don't know what it is or what their part in it should be. When you do this efficiency increases, and you can do more with fewer people.

2. Put a professional development program (PDP) in place.

This can be a new benefit that will save you thousands of dollars by systematically weeding out non-performers. This will allow you to grow and promote your most productive employees, give you proven ways to get average people more productive or provide compassionate (and legal) outplacement for non-performers. If you don't recognize the difference between these 3 categories of employees then the chances are you will lose your best people and be left with those whose cost exceeds their value.

3. Develop a world-class recruiting program.

Keeping people whose cost exceeds value is your #1 HR cost issue, and your managers will never release marginal performers unless they feel your recruiting program will deliver someone better. This means creating a picture of the perfect candidate, figure out where this candidate is located and leaving no stone unturned in pursuing him/her. It also means knowing how to interview so you can see beneath the candidates surface and discover what's inside. Having this program in place will allow you to find impact players that will improve your productivity and fill any position in 60 days or less with good choices (this will reduce your cost per hire).

These are only 3 of many ways that an outstanding HR department can help you save money.

The 4 Key Reasons To Have A World Class Human Resource Program

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The 4 Key Reasons To Have A
World Class Human Resource Program

A recruiting department that will allow you to fill any position in 60 days or less.

Benefits:
Choice of good candidates will reduce your cost per hire.
Eliminate all costly display ads and most classified advertising.

An orientation and professional development program that motivates people and achieves increased production.

Benefits:
Eliminate your #1 cost item ... keeping people whose cost exceeds their value.
Reward top achievers and improve the performance of the rest of the staff.

A training department that really works!

Benefits:
Have your way of doing business heard and understood.
Have important procedures and ideas learned and remembered.

An HR compliance program that keeps you up-to-date efficiently and inexpensively.

Benefits:
Minimize your human resource risks.
Keep Uncle Sam and the IRS off your back.

Our Vision

To manage our client's most important and costly resource by creating a "cost savings" human resource program that puts in place processes that make recruiting, orientation, training and compliance work like clockwork.

Our Commitment

The value you receive will always exceed your cost.

Are You An Effective Interviewer?

2007-04-16T05:54:00.000-07:00

Are You An Effective Interviewer?

"Of course I am!" you say. You thoroughly review a candidate's education and work history, carefully check references, and then, together, go over the job description for the new position. It's that simple!

No, it isn't. Interviewing should involve much more than that. At its best, interviewing is a process of mutual discovery that begins with the first meeting and continues throughout the employee's career with you. It forms an integral role in the decisions you make about hiring, promoting, setting goals, assigning responsibilities, and recognizing achievements. Ultimately, your interviewing technique establishes the pattern for how you communicate with your staff.

Over the years, I have accumulated substantial interviewing experience, both for our own company and for clients. As with any system of communication, interviewing is complex and many-faceted. Nevertheless, I have observed that some general rules apply that work better than others. I would like to share with you one very successful strategy.

Before hiring or promoting any person, ask yourself these three questions:

Is he/she interested in this position?
Is he/she capable of handling this position?
Are his/her commitment and core beliefs in alignment with yours?

If you can confidently answer "yes" to all three questions, then whether you should hire or promote the person solely on one final issue: How you "feel" about the person. This is totally subjective. No one can tell you how you should feel about anyone else.

I hope to have stimulated your thinking about the significance of interviewing in hiring, promoting, and meeting with your staff to handle day-to-day assignments. I'd like you to consider this an invitation to work with us more closely to sharpen your interviewing skills.

A Working Interview What Is It?

2007-04-16T05:41:00.000-07:00

A Working Interview

What Is It?

Why Do It?
How Does It Work?

A new personnel concept is being bantered about. It's known as the "Working Interview." Clients are asking us: "What is it? Why should I do it? How does it work?" This, I hope, will be a simple explanation of how this recruitment and hiring tactic can fit into your overall hiring strategy.

What Is A Working Interview?
When you have a personnel opening you may choose, as many of our clients have, to fill the vacancy by hiring a temporary who is looking for a full-time position. This new hiring practice is called a "Working Interview." Many people prefer this method of hiring because positions are filled faster. With the Working Interview there is little, if any up-front interviewing. The hiring decision is made after the temporary has demonstrated satisfactory performance on the job.

Why Should I Do It?
There are several reasons why the Working Interview may be feasible for your personnel needs. With the Working Interview, mistakes can be easily fixed. If a candidate is not working out, that candidate can be immediately replaced. You don't have to live with a hiring mistake. Other benefits include the fact that recruitment costs are amortized over a longer period of time, advertising costs are reduced, you have more flexibility than with a full-time hire and you enjoy non-employer status. Your staffing service is the employer and, thus, is responsible for W-2's, I-9's, taxes, unemployment claims, etc.

How Does It Actually Work?
Once you have identified what kind of candidate you're looking for, call us and ask if we have any available candidates who would be willing to work as a temporary with the goal of eventually converting (if both parties are satisfied) to full-time. Once a prospect is identified and agreed upon, a start date is worked out. Then the two parties try each other out and, at any time after the start date, providing both parties mutually agree, the employment can become full-time. After 90-days, usually you can hire the candidate at no charge.

Typical Applications
Typical applications for the Working Interview are entry-level positions, positions that need to be filled immediately, problem positions where turnover has been costly, bosses who prefer testing their compatibility with a candidate before hiring a full-time employee, questionable areas that need to be tested and, generally, companies in the state of major organizational change or uncertainty. Working Interviews also occur at higher levels and are sometimes referred to as contract hires.

Whether or not this particular program fits into your overall recruitment strategy, you should be aware of it. As I have said over and over, you should know all of your recruitment options and implement the one that fits your individual recruitment need on a case by case basis.